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AEEALY SUiGETIN 106 2° wevommos sup sree 'LU_AITS BUSINESSHAN FeNsLIZED F sy Sth AMSNEENT - . tr . The American Civil Liberties Union has interceded ry! ‘a bat moufacturer who has s . been Frevented from bidding on governzent business because -be, davoked the Fifth . Avendinent during Fedoral investigations. 2 ene Nee | In a letter to Secretary of the Arny Wilber M. Brucker, the Union's steffi comsel, . Rowland Watts, said thet these "sericus civil liberties questions are raised" oy ths easel . "The imposing of an illegal sanction upon an Andividual who exercised bis consti- tutional rights under the Fifth Amendnent. 7 . i “Tho depriving of an individual of his property without due process of lew through a . the prolonged and continuing investigating process, ‘which presumably could continus : * forever without any opportunity for (the Andividuel) to be informed of the charges if + : { and the outcome of the investigation, and of an oppertunity to properly defend himself. A situation where punishnent inthe form of debarrent was promilgated ty the Depertment of the Navy, and now on the sane major facts, suspension by the Depart- ment of the Army, thus resulting in a double punishzent for the swe offerse, if any." ‘The case concerned Sol 0. Schlesinger of the D/B/A Ideal Uniform Cap Cocpany, who . . told ACLU he had been under continuing investigation for four years. This fall, he i said, he ves notified ty the Arcy thet "the suspension, previously effected shall re- main in force until such time as matters pertaining to prior Departrent of Defense procurerant fron you have been investigated completely by the Executive end - . Ingislative Branches of the Government.” r . Sehlesingor pleaded the Fifth Amendment during e Treasury Departrent investigation : : and later befcre the Sonate Fernanent Subccnmittee on Government Operations, which was Anvestigating alleged aisprectices in the military procurezent field, The latter elaizad that by this acticn he had "forfeited any right to engege in future business with the Government. . "In ary other Executive branch (of the government), Mr. Schlesinger would have re- - . lief under the Adcinistrative Procedures Act," Watts wrote. ®I am confident that you + . will went to see him have at least equivalent relief by the Departrent & the arty." CENSORSHIP CF RADIO AND TV CRITICIZ=D BY FCC COSTSSIONER ’ Eeforts to censor radio and television broadcasters were decried by Robert 7. Sertley, a nezber of the Federal Coummications Commission, before a recent mesting . of broadcasters. Addressing « regional corference of the National Association of Redio end Tele— . vision Broadcasters, Bartley declared that "not only should there be no censcrehip of the broadesster by the Goverment, but there should also be none by ery other groups.® . Be referred to various pressure groups which he seid are constently trying to impose eewsorship upon the broadcaster, and he urged broadcasters to resist such efforts. Bartley traced the areas in which the FCC must soe that the lar is carried out. These ecncerned clear identification of rogram sponsorship and materialsy equal treatment of candidates fer public offica end for ccntroversial issues; and cases of ners-slenting, He said, hovever, that the broadcaster "should not be reluctent to take an editoriel positicn in various public issues, buteserhen he tekes such a posi- tion, he should identify it as such, and should tele affirrative steps to see that equal time is provided for ell other sides of the questicn.® Be termed cases of news-slanting "an abuse of the license Privilege which cannot eeebe condone? by the Comnission.” Bartley celled on brcadcasters to familiarize Corgressional committees with the yroblers surrcunding censorship and urged that prosra= abuses be curbed threuch self- regulation, re said that the function of the FCC is to review the stewardship of & redio or TY station, and explained that this fincticn had nething to do with censorship. CIVIL LIS=PTIES ERIEPS It 4s reported that large farns in the Princeton, Fla., area nar have three sets ‘ef toilet facilities: one for whites, cne for Nogroes, and a third for Puerto Ricens ..The Kew Haven Civil Liberties Council recently held a special. dinner to honor de- fensa counsel in the recent Connecticut Saith Act trial. The attorneys were cited "for upholding the firest traditions of tre American Bar in the representation af un- popular causes®..sThe Nessacnisects legisiacuro has been asked again to eprrove © pid clearing the nazes of 22 persons cordemred to douin as witches in Salem in 16$2~-93— This is tia first tine suct « measure has been irvroduced, ~ see